One might imagine that something as old as DDoS attacks would be an unsophisticated weapon in today’s high-stakes cyber threat environment. Quite the contrary: They remain all too common.

A Widening Agenda

One reason for the heightening threat is that hackers are no longer content with simply disrupting corporate services. Rather, they are increasingly using DDoS attacks as smokescreens to cover their real intent — data theft, network intrusions, malware infections and financial theft.

And the threat could get worse. According to a recent study by Ponemon Institute, the internet of things will emerge as a fertile breeding ground for DDoS attacks as more companies turn to the IoT to improve business outcomes. A Ponemon survey of more than 550 cyber risk professionals found that 76 percent expect a DDoS attack involving an unsecured internet-connected device in the next two years. Most alarmingly, only 44 percent of respondents said their organization had the ability to protect their network and enterprise systems from risky IoT devices, yet 96 percent stated that such incidents could be catastrophic.

“What’s shocking about these findings is the complete disconnect between understanding the severity of what a third-party security breach could mean for businesses, and the lack of preparedness and communication between departments,” said Larry Ponemon, chairman and founder of the Ponemon Institute.

Recognizing The Threat

The best way to prevent a data breach after a DDoS attack is to thwart the attack in the first place. The first step, say experts, is to anticipate an attack and have a DDoS mitigation service in place from an experienced service provider, as well as an emergency response plan. This plan should take into account the likelihood of follow-up attacks that come in waves. These waves get more sophisticated as hackers observe how a site responds after getting back online. Simply put, attackers adjust their methods in follow-up attacks.

Strengthening firewalls and intrusion prevention systems can help. But the reality is that sophisticated hackers are adept at permeating even the best of such systems. For businesses with a critical web presence, such as an e-commerce company, the use of a third-party DDoS protection and mitigation provider that stands ready like an armed sentinel is recommended.

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Russ Banham has chronicled the history of nearly 25 companies. His award-winning books include The Ford Century, the international best-selling history of Ford Motor Company, and Rocky Mountain Legend, the national best-selling chronicle of the Coors brewing dynasty. Banham ...